Monitor Or British Freeholder in London, Middlesex

Monopolies and foreign trade in classical economic thought

The passage argues that scarcity and taxation harm trade, urging that monopolies, padding transport costs, and export of essential goods must be discouraged. It links free commerce to wealth, navy strength, and national revenue, warning against smuggling and exporting staples that raise domestic prices. It stresses the need to keep essential materials at home to protect prosperity.